The 2 Day January Thaw Followed By A Plunge Back Into FROZEN

                       

Believe it or not, this is not a black and white photo. This is exactly what I was looking at through pelting rain and above zero degree temperatures, which we had for 2 straight days.

                       

Not only did the heavy rain take almost all of the snow in the process, it also took our first ice rink. In the far distance, you'll notice an ice fishing hut that has become a bit stranded...I wouldn't be walking out on the  thinning ice to rescue it (at this point) because it is not safe to do so.

When it snows and then switches to rain, it makes the snow exceptionally heavy as it starts to melt. To prevent structural damage, we watch these weather patterns really closely and we use a special rake to scrape the snow and ice off the roofs of our houses. The load can be too much otherwise and if you don't clear your eaves troughs (of the snow and ice) the melting water gets held up and won't drain away from your house properly. This can lead to internal flooding.  

No kidding, it's a job but it needs to done, otherwise you'll have more jobs complete with huge repair bills to fix the damage.

                     

After 2 days of above zero temperatures, the rain along with the January thaw increased the volume of water in the river. Then, the temperature plummeted to double digit below freezing temperatures again. With the wind chill, it was back to feeling like -23 degrees F. It is really hard on everyone when we have these huge swings in temperature and in conditions. Plus, it means more work to manage the ice and snow conditions. We must use salt and sand to try and prevent slips and falls. This is exceptionally important for parking lots and we usually have a rise in the number of fractures. No joints are safe from a slip on ice. Ankles, hips, tailbones, wrists and collar bones are regularly broken during these weather conditions.

 You'll notice that the ice fishing hut didn't get taken by the river. This surprised me. I thought it would be "lost in the drink" for sure.

                      

Based on the patterns of new ice, you'll notice how much the river flooded its banks during the thaw.

                     

I captured this shot this morning. You'll notice the alignment of the sun between the trees and the sun-flare or small orb to the right of the sun, in the tree-line.

                      

The timing is everything on a shot like this. The last 2 shots, I took a minute apart.

All photos were taken (by me) with an apple 8+ cell phone.

I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey...from time to time we will be shoveling and raking snow.

~ Rebecca Ryan